1.times.N fiber optic switches are used in a variety of applications. In a telecommunications system, a 1.times.N switch may be used for test equipment access. Such test equipment is used, for example, to periodically test the various optical lines having terminals at a switch interface. In such a case, a 1.times.N optical switch can be utilized to alternately interface a single optical test bench with N optical lines. Similarly, 1.times.N switches are used in manufacturing for optically testing parts. The 1.times.N switch can allow a single piece of test equipment to be used for testing multiple components for enhanced efficiency and accuracy. In data communications systems, a 1.times.N switch can be used to interface a test terminal with several network trunk lines or the like. Many other applications of 1.times.N switches are possible.
Such 1.times.N switches generally include structure for supporting a single communications fiber end on one side of a switch interface, structure for supporting N communications fiber ends (typically in an array of rows and columns) on the opposite side of the interface, and an alignment system for selectively aligning the single fiber end with any of the N fiber ends. The alignment system may involve moving the fibers, bending the fibers or altering an optical path across the switch interface using mirrors or the like. In any case, the switch interface may have a significant width, involve a number of optical components, or otherwise allow for substantial optical dispersion, diffraction, absorption and/or misalignment. Even if lenses are carefully positioned and aligned to focus signals on the fiber ends, such switches tend to entail significant optical losses. In this regard, typical optical switches have optical losses on the order of 0.7-1.5 dB. Moreover, such switches often involve substantial spacing between fibers and bulky control components for fiber alignment and, therefore, are typically limited in numbers of possible line connections, for example, to 1.times.36.